Method and apparatus for electrically promoting chemical reactions



E. R. WOLCOTT. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICALLY PROMOTING CHEMICAL REACTIONS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-M1913.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922 z 2 W/ l I II I IIIIIIILZ v. 0 0

I/VI/E/VTOR fason liWoZeoii EDSON WOLCOTT, 03 LOS ANGELES, GALIFORNI'IA, ASSIGNGE T INTERNATIONAL ERECIPETATIGN GOM?ANY, 0E 140$ ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF GALIIEQBNIA METHGD AND'AP'PAEMiTfiS F0124 ELEGTRICALLI PROMOTING UHEMKCAL REACTIONS.

1 l @2 :1 '2 Specification of Letters Patent. Pgm gnij gd Jam 3,, 31922, Application filed @ctober 1, 1918. Serial Ieo. 256,378.

To all whomit mar concern: divided material, such as feldspar (ortho- 55 Be it known that l, EnsoN R. Woiioo'rr, class) may be introduced just beyond. the a citizen of the United States, residing at electric arc to assist in producing the desired Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles cooling so as to prevent dissociation of the 5 and State of California, have invented a new oxides of nitrogen and likewise effect a reacand useful Method and Apparatus for Election between the oxides of nitrogen and the 6% trically Promoting Chemical Reactions, of potassium oxide to produce potassium niwhich the following is a specification. trite or with excess of oxygen to yield po- This invention relates to the art of protassium nitrate. 10 moting chemical reactions under the influ- A further advantage of this invention is ence of a source of high temperature such the production of mineral products in a 65 as the electric arc. Among the important finely divided state, for example the volaobjects of my invention are the following: tilization of zinc from a zinc ore is a reduc- Efiecting reactions between gasesand solids; ing atmosphere to yield finely divided mevolatilizlng certain portions of solids or tallic zinc.

liquids, so that reactions with gases may be The accompanying drawings illustrate an 70 effected, catalytic actions enhanced and apparatus suitablefor carrying out my in-v waste heat utilized; providing solid or liquid vention and referring thereto: catalysts, which are known to be eflicient in Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the furnace.

promoting the reactions between gases; ab- Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 in Fig. 1. sorption of waste heat gaseous reactions and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus. 75 likewise producing a cooling of the gases to The apparatus illustrated in the drawing prevent dissociation of the" desired product comprises a furnace chamber 1, having. a reby the introduction of finely divided solids fractory lining 2 supported in a metal or liquids in such a manner as to effect a jacket or casing 2, electrodes indicated at.3

direct reaction with the gases, or volatilize and 4 between which the electric arc is 80 a portion of said solid which reacts with'the produced, means such as pipes 5 for conveygases. ing a suitable gas or gases to the said fur- Another object of the invention in some nace chamber, and a conduit 6, through cases is to provide a process whereby cerwhich the products of reaction pass or are c tain solid products may be obtained in finely drawn from the furnace chamber. Electrodes 85 divided form. 3 and -4:"are provided with conducting con- As specific illustrations of this invention, nections 31 and 32 for supplying current the following examples are cited: By the thereto from a suitable source.

35 introduction of an alkali metal or oxide in Pipes 5 may communicate with the furnace 1 finely divided solid condition into a cham-- chamber 1 through suitable tuyeres or ducts 90 her through which is passing nitrogen, which 7 in the Wall of the furnace chamber, said is subjected to the high temperature ofan' ducts preferably extending inwardly and electric are formed between carbon elecdownwardly. Pipes 5 are connected with trodes, combustion of the carbon and intro a supply pipe 8 (see Fig. 3) WlllCh is supgen is enhanced through the catalytic action plied with compressed air or othergas by 95 of the alkali metal and in the cooler parts a pump 9. Suitable means such as indicatof the furnace a combustion with the alkali ed at 10 may be provided for feeding finely is effected producing an alkali cyanide. It divided solid materlal into sa1d pipe 8.

is not necessary to introduce the'alkali dicondu1t 1:3 may be provided for feeding Tectly, but it may be introduced as a finely finely divided solid material to the furnace 1 divided silicate, such as finely divided orthochamber, lndependently of the compressed class from which the potassium oxide is gas supply, from a feed box 13'. If devolatilized, a suitable reagent, such as lime, sired, means may also be provided for furbeing added if necessary, to effect the volatilnishing finely divided solid material into ization. Where it is desired to utilize the the effluent gases passing through outlet confull heating value of the electric are, as in duit 6, such means being 1ndicated at 11 as the roductlons of oxides of nitrogen, from a feed box discharging into the said conduit a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen, the finely 6 and provided wlth feed mechanism '11.

and outlet pipes 16 and 17 communicating with a metallic tubular stem 4' for the upper electrode 4. The stem 4 of the upper electrode 4 is mounted to move vertically within the furnace chamber through an insulating bushing 18 in the top of the furnace and suitable means such as rack and pinion devices 20 and 21 are provided for vertically adjusting said electrode to control the length of'the electric arc. The electrodes 3 and 4 are shown as provided with means for supplying therethrough a finely divided solid material. In case of the upper electrode 4 such means may consist of the duct or tube 23 extending longitudinally in such electrode and opening at its lower end into the furnace chamber and at its upper end into a feed box 24 containing the finely divided solid material, and provided with suitable means such as feeding devices 25 for continually feeding the finely divided solid material into the tube 23. The lower electrode 3 may be provided with a central duct.

construction and lined if necessary with refractory material 28' may be provided around the lower electrode t receive slag or melted residue therefromand conduct the same away from the furnace.

The following examples of my process may be given:

In the production of'compounds of nitrogen and oxygen, atmospheric air may be supplied, through the pipes 5 and ducts 7, to the furnace chamber, adjacent to the electric arc, and finely divided solid material such as "feldspar (with suitable reagent, such as lime, if necessary) may be fed into such air means 10, and forced along with such air into the reaction chamber 1 and is thereby brought in contact with the compounds of nitrogen and oxygen produced by th electric arc. In this case thefinely divided solid material does not pass directly into the zone of highest temperature, namely the electric arc, but is applied to the products of reaction after they pass out of such zone. If desired, such finely divided-material may be supplied independently of the air by feed means 13.

The products of reaction in the electric are for example,

furnace arevsubjected to sudden cooling due temperature of such material, and in fusing or volatilizing the material or a' constituent. thereof, the efficiency of conversion or reacti0n by the electric are are being hereby increased on account of the resulting decrease in'dissociation of the product of reaction.-

In the case of feldspar applied in' this manner the process has the further advantageous effect of volatilizing potassium compound, which is thereby separated from the other constituents ina form in which it may be recovered for commercial use, such recovery being effected for example, by collecting the volatilized compound or fume passing from the furnace. ,Furthermore, such volatilized compound, under suitable conditions may be made to react with a product of the reaction produced by the electric arc. Thus in the particular case stated the potassium compound volatilized from the feldspar reacts with the gases present, including compounds of nitrogen and oxygen produced by the action of the electric arc, to form potassium nitrite or nitrate-according to the following equations The potassium nitrite or nitrate produced in this manner is conducted away from the rial of the. feldspar, left after volatilization of the potassium compound therefrom may pass over with the final products aforesaid and be separated therefrom in any suitable manner, for example, by leaching and crystalllzation of the potassium salts The finely divided solid material may'also be supplied directly to the are or most highly heated zone, in case such material or a constituent thereof is required in the reaction taking place in such are or zone. For example, in the production of cyanides, by ac-. tion of an electric are between carbon electrodes, in-an atmosphere of nitrogen, feldspar may be fed into the are through the duct 33 in the upper electrode, or the duct 26 in the lower electrode, or otherwise, and the nitrogen may be supplied through pipes 5. In this case the primary reaction is between the nitrogen and the carbon of one or both of the electrodes between which the arc is formed, but the potassium or potassium compound present in the arc promotes the reaction both by direct combination and by catalytic action. In case the finely divided such material into the are or highly heated zone may be t fuse such material, the potassium compound or other volatile substances being volatilized from the melted material and the residual slag running down through the'chute 28. In this case, as in others, only one of the electrodes, r'or example, the upper electrode 4, may be composed of carbon, and the lower electrodes, 3, may be protected by the layer of melted material thereon as well. I

Carbon in finely divided form may also be supplied with or without finely divided feldspar through any of the ducts 7, 32 or 26, so asto react with the nitrogen in the chamber 1, under the influence of the electric are, thereby accelerating the production of cyanide and diminishing the consumption of the carbon electrodes.

The furnace may also be used for producing finely divided material; for example, by supplying finely divided zinc ore through the ducts in the lower electrode and maintaining a reducing atmosphere within the chamber 1, zinc may be volatilized and pass off as a fume of metallic zinc, which may be collected in any 'suitable'manner.

What I claim is:

1. The process which consists in produc ing reaction between substances in gaseous phase, by the action of an electric arc, and bringing into contact, with the products of such reaction while=they are still at high temperature, finely divided solid material in such manner as to absorb heat from such products and thereby increase the efliciency of reaction: said finely divided material having a constituentwhich is volatilized by the heat so absorbed.

2. In the art of producing chemical reaction between substances by means of the electric arc, the method of absorbing heat from the products of reaction to increase the efficiency of reaction, and at the same time utilizing such heat, which consists in applying to the products of reaction, while still hot, solid material containing a con-- stituent capable of volatilization by the heat absorbed from the said reaction products the electric are being maintained during such operation.

3. In the art 0t producing chemical reaction between substances by means of the electric arc, the method of absorbing heat from the products of reaction to increase the efficiency of reaction, and at the same time utilizing such heat, which consists in applying to the products of reaction, while sti l1 hot, finely divided solid material contaming a constituent capable of volatilizatember, 1918.

tion by the heat absorbed from the said re action products, said constituent being capable of reacting with the products of reaction in the electric are, so as to produce a final product different from the immediate product of the arc reaction.

4. In the art of producing chemical reaction between substances by means of the electric arc, the method of absorbing heat from the products of reaction to increase the efficiency of reaction, and-at the same time utilizingsuch heat, which consists in applying to the products of reaction, while, still hot, non-gaseous material containing a constituent capable of volatilization by the heat absorbed from the said reaction products, the electric are being maintained during such operation.

5.The process which consists in supplying to an electric arc materials capable of reaction at the temperature of the arc and supplying to the arc a finely-divided solid material having a constituent which is volatile under the heat of the arc, such volatilized material having a catalytic action on the reaction taking place in the are.

6. The process which consists in supplying to an electric arc materials capable of reaction at the temperature of the arc and supplying to the arc a finely divided solid material having a constituent which is volatile under the heat of the arc, such finely divided solid material having a catalytic action on the reaction taking place in the arc.

7. In the art of producing chemical reaction between substances by means of the electric arc, the method ofabsorbing heat from the products of reaction to increase the efiiciency of reaction, and at the same time utilizing such heat, which consists in applying to the products of reaction, while still hot, finely divided solid material containing a constituent capable of volatilization by the. heat absorbed from the said reaction products, said constituent being capable of reacting with the products of reaction in the electric arc, so as to produce a final product different from the immediate product of the arc react-ion,'and said finely divided solid material also containing a constituent re maining as residual solid material after such volatilization, and removing such residual solid material and the volatilized material from the reaction zone to carry away heat therefrom. a

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 21st day of Sep- EDSON R. WOLGQTT. 

